Dear colleagues,

we would like to draw your attention on the following forthcoming
Scientific Session on Sinkholes at the General Assembly of EGU in
Vienna, next April:

Session NH8.6 "Sinkholes: from susceptibility to risk evaluation and
mapping" at EGU General Assembly (Vienna, 22-27 April 2012)

Convened by: Mario Parise, Giulio Iovine, Stefania Nisio

Session Description
Sinkholes are widespread in many countries of the world, in several geological and morphological settings, affecting distinct lithotypes either in the detrital cover sequences or in bedrock outcrops. In particular, some phenomena develop in geomorphological context characterized by plain areas and notable detrital coverages, either made of sediments or colluvial or residual terrains, thick even tens to hundreds of meters. In some cases, the genetic mechanisms are poorly understood; they can be quite complex and appear not directly connected with classical karstic processes. The recent urban development and the increasing need of spaces for infrastructures in areas potentially affected by sinkholes require a better comprehension in terms of related susceptibility, hazard and risk. The session aims to stimulate the discussion on the state-of-the-art of the studies on the mentioned topic, with special regard to sinkholes in plain not-karstic areas. Analyses of genetic mechanisms, methodological examples of investigation, and case studies are welcome, as well as description of techniques for evaluating susceptibility, hazard and risk.

Note: A selection of studies presented at this session will be considered for publication in a special issue of a relevant international journal.

For info on how to submit an Abstract see this page.

or go directly at the sessions page, choose Session NH8.6, and press "Abstract submission"

The deadline for the submission of Abstracts is 17 January 2012.

Further information about the EGU General Assembly 2012 can be found 
here , and information about EGU itself can be found here .

In case any technical questions arise, please contact us. 

For any questions relevant to the Session organization please do not
hesitate to contact me

We hope to see you in Vienna!

Best Regards,

Mario Parise and co-conveners

Speleology in Kazakhstan

Hello everyone! I pleased to invite you to the official site of Central Asian Karstic-Speleological commission ("Kaspeko") There, we regularly publish reports about our expeditions, articles and reports on speleotopics, lecture course for instructors, photos etc Also we have forum there Site's language is Russian Welcome! --Aleksandr Shakalov. ...

New publications on hypogene speleogenesis

Dear Colleagues, This is to draw your attention to several recent publications added to KarstBase, relevant to hypogenic karst/speleogenesis: Corrosion of limestone tablets in sulfidic ground-water: measurements and speleogenetic implications Galdenzi, Sandro International Journal of Speleology, 2012, Vol 41, Issue 2, p 35-55 Speleogenetic effects of interaction between deeply derived fracture-conduit and intrastratal matrix flow in hypogene karst settings Klimchouk, AB, Tymokhina, EI, Amelichev, GN International Journal of Speleology, 2012, Vol 41, Issue 2, p 37-55 Hypogenic contribution to speleogenesis in a predominant epigenic karst system: A case study from the Venetian Alps, Italy Tisato Nicola, Sauro Francesco, Bernasconi Stefano M , Bruijn Rolf H C , De Waele Jo Geomorphology, 2012, Vol 151, p 156-163 L’altération de type "fantôme de roche" : processus, évolution et implications pour la karstification Quinif Yves, Bruxelles Laurent Géomorphologie : relief, processus, environnement, 2011, Vol 4 You can download these publications following the links to PDF files on respective original websites As a part of collaboration within the HypoKarst, we suggest that the project members inform each other about their own and other published works relevant to the topic An easy way to do this, and generally promote the readership for your papers, is to submit publications to the KarstBase through the online submission form (One needs to be registered to access the form) By including words “hypogene” or “hypogenic” in the keywords (if they are not present within the title), you’ll make the publication appearing in the respective search selection that represens current bibliography on hypogene karst/speleogenesis Check this link regularly if you want to stay updated on current publications in the field Best wishes! Sincerely, --Alexander Klimchouk and Yuri Dublyansky, HypoKarst Project coordinators. ...

The deepest terrestrial animal

A recent publication of Spanish researchers describes the biology of Krubera Cave, including the deepest terrestrial animal ever found: Jordana, Rafael; Baquero, Enrique; Reboleira, Sofía and Sendra, Alberto Reviews of the genera Schaefferia Absolon, 1900, Deuteraphorura Absolon, 1901, Plutomurus Yosii, 1956 and the Anurida Laboulbène, 1865 species group without eyes, with the description of four new species of cave springtails (Collembola) from Krubera-Voronya cave, Arabika Massif, Abkhazia Terrestrial Arthropod Reviews 5 (2012) 35–85 DOI: follow this link (information supplied by Sofia Reboleira). ...

Caves - landscapes without light

Exhibition dedicated to caves is taking place in the Vienna Natural History Museum The exhibition at the Natural History Museum presents the surprising variety of caves and cave formations such as stalactites and various crystals Several interactive installations are available as well as audiovisual room presenting current state of the art in current research findings 28 spectacular Austrian caves are presented Important goal of the exhibition is to demonstrate how Vienna is supplied by drinking water from karst areas. ...